"The installation stands along Värsnäs Preschool, at the edge of the new Snurrom district in Kalmar, , where the new neighborhood meets the protected oak forests of the Värsnäs nature reserve. Around fifty ancient oaks tower here, sculptural giants shaped by time, weather, and long life. Their almost fairytale presence forms the starting point for a two-part sculptural artwork: the outdoor Oak House (Ekstugan) and the indoor Oak Place (Ekplatsen). Together, they anchor the in the landscape and let the oak tree become both guide and companion."
"Children enter through an opening low in the 'trunk,' where light filters down from above through thick, branch-like volumes. Inside, it holds equipment for excursions, natural finds to explore, and framed illustrations revealing the oak's hidden world of insects, birds, and fungi. Studio Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) continues the story indoors with the Oak Place. Shaped like a generous stump, it is both furniture and a space of its own. Its form echoes the Oak House but suits indoor use."
A hexagonal Oak House merges a hollow ancient oak with a small red house, standing about 6.5 meters tall like an oversized woodland character. The installation sits beside Värsnäs Preschool at the edge of the Snurrom district where a belt of about fifty ancient oaks defines the landscape. The project comprises two linked works: the outdoor Oak House (Ekstugan) and the indoor Oak Place (Ekplatsen), which together create a continuous experience. The exterior offers a low trunk entrance, filtered light, storage for excursion equipment, and framed illustrations of the oak’s ecology. The interior stump-like Oak Place provides oak floors, wide boards, and versatile seating for reading, exhibitions, and small performances, visually and programmatically connecting indoors and outdoors to encourage exploration and learning.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]